Electrode support



Sgpt. .2, 19,41. E. A. REUTER 2,254,857

' ELECTRODE SUPPORT Filed May 31 19:59

1 INVENTOR 1:. n. 250752 BY v mm ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1941 FFlCE QELECTRODE SUPPORT Edmund A. Renter, East Orange. N. 3., assignor toWestinghouse Electric a Manulac tnring Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa, acorporation of Pennsylvania Application May 31, 1939, Serial No. 276,595

3 Claims.

My invention relates to electrode supports and particularly to a supportfor the upper electrode portion of a single-ended discharge device.

An object of the invention is to provide a flexible yet sturdyconductive support for an electrode.

Another object of the invention is to provide a contact member betweenthe glass walls and the electrode, which member is of a material thatwill harden on slow cooling.

Other objects and advantages or the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and drawing in which Figure l is a view in frontelevation of my invention incorporated in a specific type of dischargedevice.

e 2 is a view on lines iI-'-II vof Figure l.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of my electrode 7 support prior to beingplaced on the electrode.

Flsure 4 is an outline blank of metal from which the electrode supportis shaped.

The broad purpose of the invention is to provide a cent or the upperelectrode of a discharge system supported from a single press at one endof the discharge device. It is a specific object of my invention toprovide a sturdy yet conductive centralizing support between anelectrode and the glass walls of the discharge device. In dischargedevices, particularly those embodying a glow or a long positive column,there are apt to be charges deposited on the glass walls near theelectrode. If these charges are permitted to remain upon the insulatingsurface, they may divert the discharge path to some extent thereto. Thisapplication constitutes an improvement on the copending application ofPhilip W. Blackburn, Serial No. 272,966, filed May 11,

1939, for Trigger for discharge devices.

As stated, the specific object of my invention is to provide anelectrode support that will be sturdier and capable of withstandingthe-heat treatment of metal parts during exhaust. My invention has beenillustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the Blackburn application referred toand constitutes an improvement over the support illustrated in the otherfigures thereof.

In 1 i; s 1 of this application, I have illustrated a particular type ofdischarge device utilized for sterilizing purposes. This tube comprisesan elongated container it of very high ultraviolet transmittingqualities. The lower end ii of this device is'illustrated with the usualscrew threaded base with its two contacts i2 and it, but any type ofelectrode contact may, of course, be used.

From this base is supported-the press it with the near electrode i5having adjacent thereto the trigger electrode i8 bent over the upper rimof the electrode it to the interior thereof at H to provide a reliablestarting tip for the discharge. The upper electrode i8 is preferably aduplicate of the lower electrode IS in that it comprises a hollowcylindrical body portion terminating in a closed cone-shaped end i9 bentaround a rod connector 20 and having the excess folds cl material formedinto four fins it about the cone i9 and continued for a short distanceabout the rod 20. Of course, any number of integral fins could beselected if desired. Other types of electrodes may be used without finsbut, as explained below, my support can be attached to this type ofelectrode without any additional securing means that might be necessarywith these other types of electrodes. V

The connection 22 to the connecting rod 20 extends down toward the pressi4 and is preferably .covered with a glass insulation 23. These featuresare more particularly described in the prior referred to copendingapplication of Philip W. Blackburn.

As previously stated, my invention concerns a sturdy but resilientsupport for the upper electrode it to center it within the tube and alsoto provide a conductive path for the absorption by the electrode it ofany charges deposited upon the glass walls it. In order to accomplishthis purpose I preferably utilize a blank of material, shaped asillustrated in Figure 4. This shape is, in general, of a central cirular sheet portion 30 having two extended lon tudinal portions 8i and 32at opposite sides thereof. These longitudinal portions are preferablyrounded at the projecting ends 33, 36, 35 and 36. While I have found twoportions Si, 32 to be sufllcient, more portions may be used preferablysymmetrical about the central portion 30.

The central circular portion 30 is perforated in the cross or X form 31in order to accommodate the space occupied by the integral fins 2i andcentral rod portion at approximately the end of the cone portion IS. Theparticular shape of this perforation depends on the shape of theelectrode. The longitudinally extending portions 3i and 32 are bentdownwardly, preferably at a right angle to the plane of 30, and thenhave their ends 33, 34, 35 and 36 bent outwardly reversely to the bodyportion of Bi and 32, to form an incomplete or interrupted arc with theopposite end, as disclosed in perspective in Figure 3. This interruptedarc of the two ends will pre-

